Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. It's generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time you become thirsty, you may already be slightly dehydrated. As we age, the body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. On the other hand, excessive thirst and increased urination can be signs of a more serious medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you experience either.

How much water should you drink each day? It's a simple question with no easy answers. Research has provided varying recommendations over the years. Fluid needs are based on the individual and depend on many factors such as where you live (hot needs more water), activity level, age, your health condition and your body weight.

The average adult loses about 10 cups of water on a typical day. Most people need roughly 8 to 12 cups of fluid a day, which we obtain from both food and beverages. If you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.

One method that might be helpful in providing an estimate of a person’s fluid needs:

Exercise - If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 14 to 20 ounces of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake.

Environment - Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.

Illnesses or health conditions - When you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, your body loses additional fluids. In these cases, you should drink more water. Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop or are prone to certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.

Breast-feeding - Women who are breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Dehydration is much more common than over hydration. Consuming too much water can have an adverse effect on the body, but is a relatively rare occurrence. Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia.

Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who eat an average American diet. An adult whose heart, kidneys, and pituitary gland are functioning properly would have to drink more than two gallons of water a day to develop water intoxication. Eating a salty food would negate the result.

It’s important to be well hydrated and remember plain water is the best source!

Today I want to focus on the topic of how to "Make Your Commitment Stick!" You’ve made the decision to get in shape, to get down to a healthy weight and change your life for the better. So, how do you make this commitment stick?

First, you must realize that there is no going back. Think of all of your bad and unhealthy habits as just what they are… a mechanism that is holding you back from feeling great, having more energy, looking great and being fit!

It can be difficult to say goodbye to unconscious eating, over eating and overindulgence of any kind be it food, drink, or not enough sleep. For me now, all I have to do is remember how I would feel the next day…fat, tired and sorry that I succumbed to the unhealthy choices. Recall is a great defense! You too can make a conscious effort to get healthy.

Think about where you were and how you felt when you made that initial decision to get healthy. When you said to yourself “Enough is enough and I need to get healthy!” Close your eyes and remember.

Now on a scale of 1 to 10, how serious are you to following through on your commitment? ________.

You really need to be an eight or higher! If not, we need to reconnect and reevaluate your thoughts and feelings about all the reasons why to improve your health. When you focus on what you want it has an amazing effect on your commitment and motivation level. Remember, Motive + Action = Motivation so it may take you "Acting" on a good "Motive" (or idea) before you really gain serious momentum but you will achieve more than you imagine if you just start the process today vs. tomorrow!

So what should you do next? Make a commitment to listen to the coaching support conference calls Monday and Wednesday evenings each and every week. The calls are now recorded which gives you no excuse!

Another secret to sticking to your commitment is to keep a journal! It seems so ridiculously simple. Clients that journal accomplish what they set out to do.

What to put in your Journal

Page 1: Before picture

Page 2: Write down your commitment to yourself. Such as: “I’m committed to get healthy and lose this weight that is slowing me and my life down. I will do what it takes every day and forever strive to take shape for life!”

Page 3: Write your daily affirmation, such as, “I am healthy and happy and it shows” or “I choose health in my life” or “I love my new found health”!

First page of each week: Write down a goal for the week. Such as:“I will make certain to eat every 3 hours all week” “I will get in 30 minutes of exercise every day this week”

Then have a small reward for reaching the goal.

Each week:Daily write entries into your journal upon rising in am. and before bed at night The times you eat The foods you eat The water you drink How you feel in the morning and before you go to bed The exercise you do each day Weight loss on weekly weigh day

Your journal can be a notebook, on the computer or whatever works for you.

Reconfirm your commitment to achieve extraordinary health in 2010 and let's make it happen captain!

David Bush is known for motivating audiences using his unique speaking style and combination of motivational content, coaching strategies and easy to implement take away tactics. David gets results long after he's left the stage due to his dynamic presence during the event and his ability to provide ongoing coaching tools, resources and accountability systems.

He is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, coach and consultant to clients and health professionals across the nation. After succeeding as a former All-American collegiate athlete at the University of South Dakota and graduating with a degree in Mass Communication, David pursued a professional football career and landed a starting role with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League in Des Moines, Iowa. After four years of playing professional football and two trips to the the World Championship game ('96 and '97 Arena Bowl), David entered the world of professional sales.

After quickly proving his ability to produce results as a top producing Mortgage Consultant, David became the Executive Vice President of Sales of a regional mortgage company and later coordinated the merger two mid-sized mortgage companies with 18 production offices in Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota and continued his success in management and business as a co-owner of the organization.

Since leaving the mortgage business in 2004 and personally losing over 100 lbs., David now focuses his efforts on coaching others to live successful and significant lives through the his extraordinary health coaching program and speaking services. David is a leader in the coaching industry and passionately leads the way in those who wish to succeed in life and in business. He lives in Pella, Iowa with his wife Kristen and their three children Cassidy, Morgan and Beau.

Workshops and Keynote Programs:

Secrets to Achieving Extraordinary Health– After losing close to 100 pounds in six short months without surgery, starvation tactics or excessive exercise, David now inspires others to optimize their health and achieve peak performance. His humorous approach and motivational message provides a fun filled event while challenging participants to take action and get results for a change.

Living The Extraordinary Life - David has spent the majority of his life following his personal and professional dreams and he has achieved them in record time. During this session, David share’s his personal stories of success along with inspirational stories of others who have realized their dreams and encourages and inspires the audience members to realize their full potential!

Becoming an Extraordinary Leader – Despite what’s popular in today’s marketplace, leadership success is not a secret. It’s about consistent implementation of timeless leadership principles. During this session David guides the audience through the Six Steps to Extraordinary Leadership Success. He shares real life, take-away strategies and tactics to succeed in any leadership situation.

Becoming an Extraordinary Advisor– During this session David will coach your team of sales professionals how to implement the Critical Success Factors to help them become a trusted advisor to their clients. Over the last 15 years David has pursued the best relationship building techniques, tactics and strategies and now he’d like to share the best of the best with you and your team.

Generating Extraordinary Results - as an extraordinary results coach to top executives and entrepreneurs across the nation, David has developed a system to help individuals shatter complacency to acheive extraordinary results. His simple strategies will give participants the focus they need to succeed in the marketplace and thrive during highly competitive times while increasing production and productivity.

Testimonials:

"David I just wanted to thank you for your presentation, "Becoming An Extraordinary Leader," that you gave to our employees last week at our biennial company meeting. This was a very beneficial and timely topic for our organization, and I trust that everyone was able to take away some helpful information regarding identifying goals, setting a timeline, and meeting those goals, either personally or professionally, or both. Like two years ago, we heard many positive comments about your session. It's my hope that we each take action on the "six C's" to becoming an extraordinary leader."

Steve SandquistPresidentUNITED CONTRACTORS, INC.

"David Bush recently made two presentations for the Mason City Area Chamber of Commerce. He met with our high school youth leadership group in the morning, and provided the keynote address for a chamber luncheon. David was terrific!

Most importantly, his blend of humor and life lessons was a perfect fit for our events. Clearly, David understands the special challenges facing Iowans and his self-deprecating humor immediately puts the audience at ease. I highly recommend him as a speaker!"

Robin Anderson, CCEExecutive DirectorMason City Area Chamber of Commerce

"Our highway chapter invited David to speak at our annual convention this past February – as the Opening Session/Keynote Speaker. Our members were very impressed with his presentation, as it was not only upbeat, but something many in the audience could relate to. We had a lot of individuals stick around and talk directly with David after the session; which is a positive indication that he grabbed their attention. He got our convention off to a great start with his inspiring stories, and I feel confident your members would say the same if you have him at your event!"

Samantha PorterAGC Nebraska Chapter

“David, you were a HUGE hit with our group! Your presentation was great. You were a pleasure to listen to since you are such a dynamic and enthusiastic speaker. The message motivated us to take charge of our lives and to create a Life Plan. It was definitely one of our best programs of the year!”

Barbara D. Huguenin, CSA, LUTCF, LTCPPrograms Director

National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors

"David Bush’s presentation at the Lion’s Multiple District Convention was well received by all 450 attendees which included Past International Presidents and dozens of leaders from the states of California and Nevada. His presentation on “Sustaining Success! How To Create A Legacy That Inspires Others” was well presented with a mixture of serious information and humor. The audience was kept attentive and laughing with his presentation. Many of the audience members commented how much they learned and enjoyed David’s presentation. I highly recommend using David as a keynote speaker at your next company’s meeting. You will come away with great ideas and information to help you in your daily lives."

John D. Bodnar

Past District GovernorLions Clubs International

Partial Client List:

Aflac

ING

New York Life

IMT Insurance

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Next Financial

National Assoc. of Insurance and Financial Advisors

Vermeer Manufacturing

San Jacinto College

Lions Club International

What to Expect from David Bush’s Presentations

Here is what you can expect from my presentations:An opening keynote speech starts your meeting with a bang and keeps everyone talking about David's message through the end of the meeting. A closing keynote sends everyone home on an energized "cloud nine." David talks to the level of the audience and connect with them whether they are a group of senior executives, mid-level managers, hourly employees or salespeople.

David's style and approach:David is a high energy, fast-paced speaker who combines strong content with an entertaining delivery. So you can't miss. David is not only make an intellectual connection with your audience but also an emotional one. Clients have described his speeches as inspirational and motivational with loads of laughter.

You need something you can take home.David's content is simple, practical, and easy to remember and use. It is quite common for audience members to successfully use one or more of his ideas from his speech several months after the program. Not only will your audience members learn a lot; they will have a great time. David's delivery is funny and electrifying. There is always a lot of laughter and "A-ha's" from the beginning to end at one of David's programs.

David's top priority on every assignment:

For the client/meeting planner: To make him or her a hero. To have the audience members as well as top management rave about their choice of a speaker. To raise a mediocre meeting to good, a good meeting to great, and a great meeting to magical. To be so good that the audience will forget other small problems that may have happened at that meeting. To be invited back by popular demand.

For the audience: To make them laugh and learn simultaneously. To give them tools to improve their personal and professional lives. To make them forget all their outside problems for the brief time David is there with them by giving them an inspirational performance unlike any they have ever experienced before. To get them to say, "This is the best speaker I've ever heard."

For the speakers bureau: To exceed their client's expectations so the client will happily continue to do business with the bureau. To get additional information about the client and its key people to feed back to the bureau for future business and additional business relationships with that client. To seek out additional business opportunities for the bureau and to get more business together.

Support materials, handouts, and follow-up materials David supplies to clients:For each of David's topics, he provides clients: an introduction; free handouts from his PowerPoint slides; a free weekly ezine for each audience member to reinforce the concepts of his programs.

For meeting planners: David provides a A / V checklist for room setup and a Pre-program Questionnaire (PPQ) to tailor his speech to the audience, photos (color and black and white) and easy telephone access to David prior to his program.

For speaking schedule, fees and/or to book David for your next event please contact us today:

Without a healthy body we are limited in what we can BE, DO and HAVE in life. Our Health Coaching Program combines the following three components to help clients lose weight quickly and achieve extraordinary health...

1) Personal Health Coach to teach you the Habits of Health2) Habits of Health Coaching System (book, workbook and dvd)3) Bio-Network of Support including fast and convenient meal plans and portion controlled meal replacements (if applicable) and access to a team of health experts (i.e. doctors, nurses, dieticians, personal trainers, etc.).

Our coaching program has been recommended by over 20,000 doctors over the last 30 years because of its effective methodology and simple "goof proof" model. Clients do not have to count points, calories or participate in lengthy, rigorous exercise programs to lose weight and improve their health.

Clients simply learn healthy habits inside of a nutritional training program leveraging a balance of delicious pre-packaged, grab and go portion controlled meals and healthy meals made at home or in a restaurant along with the guidance and support of a certified health coach.

The safe weight loss formula and nutrition management system we use inside our coaching program has been developed from over three decades of documented medical research and it is the premier nutritional program in the country.

4 E's Healthy Body Action Plan...

Encouragement:

We begin by determining your Body Mass Index and then establish a healthy body weight goal. A BMI of 25 or below is considered healthy but not all clients have the same body composition so we use this tool as a guide to help clients structure their goal(s). After the client has created their goal(s), we then help them develop a list of reasons on why they want to achieve their goal(s).

This list of benefits is reviewed daily by the client to help them gain perspective on all reasons why they have to pursue extraordinary health and to encourage them to stay on track. Our coaches also use this list during regularly scheduled coaching calls to hold clients accountable and to remind them of why building a healthy body is important to them.

Eating:

Phase One: Weight Loss

The Weight Loss Phase is designed to safely create a gap between the calories you take in and the calories your body burns naturally. There's no counting calories and no cooking complicated meals... it's easy to follow and the average weight loss is up to 2-5 lbs per week or 20 lbs in 1 month!*

*Individual results will vary. Typical weight loss on the program is up to 2-5 lbs per week for the first 2 weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter.

Phase Two: Transition/Equilibration

Once a client achieves a healthy body weight we coach them to adopt life long healthy eating habits to help them maintain their weight and pursue extraordinary health. Clients slowly increase their caloric intake and transition back into larger portion sizes over time based on activity level.

Exercise:

An active lifestyle and regular exercise is a key component to building a health body because it increases metabolism, provides greater flexibility and strength, improves bone structure and posture, enhances mental clarity, and strengthens the immune system. We help you develop an active living and exercise plan that meets you where you're at and progresses you naturally to higher levels of activity and intensity over time.

Phase Three: Optimization

Energy:

Because so many of our eating and exercise habits depend on our energy levels we coach our clients to improve their time management skills, quality and quantity of sleep or rest, and their ability to manage and decrease the stress in their life. Simple healthy habits repeated daily over time will lead to healthier eating and exercise choices and assist a client to build a healthy body and sustain long term success.

In phase III and IV of the coaching program clients begin receiving coaching on how to develop a healthier mind and a more positive perspective on their future. Because they now have a "can-do" mindset because of their weight loss success they are challenged to pursue more of their life goals and dreams!

A healthy mind includes having a clear sense of purpose in life and an optimistic attitude about what's possible. We coach our clients to develop a personal mission statement and life plan that defines what it is that they want to BE, DO and HAVE in life. This life planning and personal development process gives clients the focus, balance and direction they need to help them to achieve a successful and significant life.

Creating a Healthy Financial Life

Because so much of our health is based upon managing stress and emotions, we coach each client to take the simple steps to organize and accumulate the necessary financial resources to fulfill their life's dreams and goals. While our coaches don't act as financial planners or advisers, they do provide simple steps and practical principles to help clients move from where they are now to wherever they want to go. Through the pursuit of financial peace of mind, our coaching clients reduce the stress in their life and close the gap on their life's dreams to achieve extraordinary health.

For many people "extraordinary health" means feeling great, achieving a certain weight and/or being free from ailments or illness. We believe "extraordinary health" extends far beyond these common associations to include physical, mental, and financial health.

Several aspects of your life have a positive effect on your health; the more apparent aspects being proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. Factors negatively affecting your health include stress, negativity, an unbalanced lifestyle and the lack of financial stability.

Extraordinary health can be achieved by taking simple steps to adopt the positive aspects and eliminating the negative aspects through the development of healthy habits.

Our health coaching program offer you the opportunity to achieve a healthy body, a healthy mind, and healthy finances through the development of healthy habits. Together these three vital elements blend to form extraordinary health and an exceptional life. A lifestyle that elevates happiness and minimizes stress. Extraordinary Health allows us to become more alive and to become difference-makers in the lives of others. By achieving Extraordinary Health, our possibilities are limitless!

We have a nationwide network of Extraordinary Health coaches and every Coach is trained and certified in our coaching process to ensure a high quality of coaching excellence and guarantee effectiveness. We tailor our health coaching to fit your personality and your unique style and provide unmatched support to help you live your dreams and change your world.

We also have an Extraordinary Health Support Staff available to help answer questions during normal business hours (9am-6pm Central Standard Time) via email and phone support to help you maximize your coaching experience.

Your Extraordinary Health Coach will…

Teach you proven systems to help you lose weight quickly and safely

Help you create a workable Action Plan to help you succeed

Encourage you, support you and hold you accountable to your health goals

Bring understanding to why you eat and help you to build healthy habits

Online Extraordinary Health Coaching System – Our online support system allows you to track your eating and exercise and clarify your goals and action steps with our state of the art eHealth Coaching System and optional email reminders.

Live Online Support - Access our concierge coaching resource by interacting with our Live Support Team Monday-Friday 9am-6pm CST and get the answers you need to succeed.

Weekly Coaching Calls/Webinars - Plug in to weekly doctor, nurse and motivational coaching calls with our team of experts as they answer your questions and breakdown hot topics that will help you succeed at implementing your plan and achieving your goals.

Most of us know Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. You may not know 1,315,998 U.S. Soliders have died fighting for our freedom since 1775. This was the year I vowed to be a better leader in my family and make Memorial Day more about those who died serving us than about a long weekend with lots of tasty foods to eat.

What does this have to do with you living a healthier life? Maybe your perspective on the holidays and how you celebrate them could be due for a review as well. Has the holiday foods and drinks become more valuable to you than the reason you're celebrating the special day and your health? Take a moment to reflect on how you could improve (if applicable) and let me know if you need some more coaching strategies on this topic.

IMPORTANT FACT: Over 300,000 civilian Americans die each year from obesity related causes. Many more are simply surviving than they are thriving in life. This data may not mean much to you until a family member or friend is included in the statistic but I've seen how the effects of poor health can affect a family (my grandfather died of a heart attack when my mom was only 16). I've vowed to take a position of leadership on "healthy living" during the holiday seasons going forward.

You may not be the picture of health right now and you may not feel like you can be a leader in this area but our country is in need of more "healthy" leaders and coaches. By choosing healthier food items for the special day, smaller plates/portion sizes and/or encouraging everyone to go for a walk and to participate in a family friendly game could be what everyone needs to develop "healthier holiday habits".

Your personal health improvement story and how you act during the holidays may be the only healthy living book your family and friends ever read. Don't condemn the actions of others with words but let your actions be the motivation to help others get started on developing healthier habits and let's get America and our families healthier!